Trunk.



. PATENTED JAN. 1, 1907. RM. LEE.

TRUNK. A'rrmouron IILED SEPT. 25. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES: WW0 9 mm on. n. c.

UNITED" STATES PATENT OFFICE.,

FRED M LEE, OFNEWARK-, NEW JERSEY, ASSl-GNOR TO T. B. PEDDIE AND 00., ACORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY:

TRUNK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 1, 1907.

To all whom it may cancer-ml Beit known that I, FRED M. LEE, a citizenof the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex andState of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Trunks; and-I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which-it appertains to make and use the same,reference being. had to the accompanying drawings, and to figures ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention-relates to certain improvements in that class ofwardrobe-trunks in which a vertically-disposed body, oblong inv an easyand convenient access to the clothing suspended therefrom.

The objects of the present improvements are to reduce the cost ofconstruction, to provide a more simple and convenient device, to enableaccess to be gained to the clothing with greater ease by permitting thesuspensory frame serving to clamp the clothes in the trunk to beremoved, .and to secure other advantages and results, some of which maybe hereinafter referred to in connection with the description of theworking parts.

The invention consists in the improved wardrobe-trunk and in thearrangements and combinations of parts of the same, all substantially aswill be hereinafter set forth, and finally embraced in the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals ofreference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several figures,Figure 1 is a perspective view of an open trunk of my improvedconstruction.

Fig. 2 is a sectional detail view of the upper portion of the same. Fig.3 is another sectional view taken at line 2c of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is asectional view illustrating more clearly the construction of the sidebars of the suspensory frame. Fig. '5 is a front elevation of the upperportion of the frame, and Fig. 6 is a side view of the same.

In said drawings, 7 indicates the body of the trunk, which is longerthan the average trunk found on the market, so that when standingvertically endwise, as shownin Fig. 1, it will permit dresses or othergarments to be suspended full length from the supporting devices at thetop without transversely folding said garments. At one end or top ofsaid body the same is provided with a hinged cover-section 8, and at thebottom a coversection 9 is similarly hinged to the body, the

two sections being sufficient in size to completely close the trunk.These may be pro vided with lockin means of any suitable kind, and thetrunk may be furnished with the usual metallic furnishings, whereby thesaid trunk is rendered more strong to resist the severe usage to whichtrunks are comnionly subjected during transit from place to p ace.

Within the upper part of the body of the trunk, at the sides thereof,are arranged cleats 10 10, disposed horizontally and provided at their)upper edges with rollers 11 to facilitate the movement or rollingoperations of the supporting-frame. Said cleats are also provided withstops 12 of any suitable kind to limit the out passage or movement ofthe said frame by engagement with the stops 12 on the frame. Said stops12 and 12 permit the horizontally-movable frame to extend outward asufficient distance to enable the dresses to be convenientlymanipulated; but

said frame remains within the trunk-body,

The movable horizontal frame comprises a back piece 13, two side pieces14 1 1, and a front piece 15, forming a quadrangular frame, the piecesbeing properly fitted together and glued, so that said frame will retainits shape with. ample certainty. The side pieces 14 14 of this frame areof peculiar construction, and certain im ortant features of noveltyreside therein. aid side pieces'at their outer sides are provided withangular bars 16, of sheet metal, which form flanges adapted to overliethe cleats. These flanges stand horizontally out from the sides of thesaid frame and rest upon the rollers of the cleats above referred to.Atthe tops of said side pieces are two horizontal bars 17, one on eachside piece. These are preferably tubular for the sake of lightness andprovide seats for the separable clothing-supports 18, Figs. 2 and 3,said bars being secured at opposite ends to the side pieces. On theinner sides of said side pieces the same are each providedwith alongitudinal slot 19, adapted to receive flanges 20 of the separablevertical frame 21 for clamping the clothes Within the trunk when thelatter is closed.

At the top of the clamping-frame 21 are formed at opposite sides thereoflaterallyprojecting fixtures 22, consisting of. a body portion 23,riveted or otherwise secured to the sides of the frame 21, and at theupper ends of said body portion horizontally projecting and inclinedflanges 20, before referred to, of a thickness sufficient to allow aneasy entrance into the slots 19. The inclination of the horizontallyprojecting and inclined flanges 20 enables an easy entrance into thegrooves only when the suspensory clamping-frame 21 is at an inclinationand when the said suspensory frame is thrown out so as to lie in a truevertical plane, the opposite edges of the inclined flanges impingingupon the upper and lower walls of the slot in such a manner as to clampsaid frame so that it will not slide in the slots or grooves 19. Whenthe clothing is being packed, the dresses or other garments beingsuspended from their bars 18 directly or through the medium of thesupports 25, the lower part of the suspensory frame 21 is pressed firstinward against the garments so as to compress the same, the upper partinclining forward. Then upon inserting one flange 20 in its groove andthen the other the said suspensory frame is forced forward at the bottomby the pressure of the clothes, so as to stand parallel to the lane ofthe front of the trunk, and thus the anges are brought to inclinedpositions in the slots to lock the frame from sliding forward.

By pressing the frame and its supported garments back into the. trunkthe dresses, &c. are carried entirely into the trunk. Then by pressingthe vertical frame out of its vertical position and backward against thegarments said garments are pressed Within the trunk-body, the lower endof the frame being on releasing the hands forced out by pressure of thegarments, thus causing the inclined flanges to again impinge upon thewalls of the slots 19, and thus lock the frame automat ically, so thatthe hands can be fully occupied in tying the tapes commonly found insuch trunks around the clothes and frame.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is An improvedtrunk containing a horizontally-sliding frame arranged to be Withdrawnfrom the trunk, projecting strips on the opposed sides of the frame,rollers on the side of the trunk to receive the strips, the frame beingprovided with slots on the inside of its 0pposed sides, asupporting-frame having inclined plates to fit the slots in the slidingframe, the supporting-frame being adapted to be swung to assume avertical osition and thus lock the inclined pieces in t e slots, and aset of clothes-sup ports on the sliding frame.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this11th day of September, 1905.

- FRED M. LEE. Witnesses:

CHARLES H. PELL, RUssELL M. EVERETT.

